Ick hailes



(No Model.)

R. HI BISHOP 8v H. 1". HAILHS.

SKATE.

No. 248,395. Patented 001;. 18,1881.

N, PETERS. Phummhugmphqf. w.1 hingwn. D. C.

ilNirE- STATES PATENT OEErcE.

ROBERT H. BISHOP, OF HOLLOWAY ROAD, AND HENRY F. HAILES, OF

HORNSEY, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ASSIGNORS TO NETTLEFOLDS, (LIMITED,`, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,395, dated October 18, 1881.

Application filed May 20, 1881. (No model.) Patented in England December 9,1880.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that we, ROBERT HODGESBISH- or, of Holloway Road, and HENRY FREDER- IGK HAILES, ot' Hornsey, both in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain Improvements in the Construction of Skates, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a skate which, having been previously adjusted to fit the boot of the skater, may be instantly applied and firmly secured thereto, or be as readily disengaged therefrom when required.

In constructing a skate according to curinvention we provide a fixed sole-plate for the front part ofthe boot of the skaterto rest upon, such xed sole -plate being tted with a toe piece or strap, and at its rear end with an adjustable griping-piece. For the heel of the boot of the skater to rest upon we provide a sliding heel-plate of peculiar construction. This heel-plate we forcibly thrust forward by means of a cam-headed locking-lever or its equivalent, so that by a single movement of the said cam-headed lever the front portion of the boot will be thrust into the gripe of the toe piece or strap upon the xed sole-plate, while at the same time the heel of the boot will be securely fixed between the adjustable gripingpiece on the rear end of the sole-plate and the griping-surfaces on theslidingheel-piece. We provide, moreover, a novel means for imparting to the said toepiece or strap an additional tightening np upon the boot of the skater in the act of applying the skate, by which means we insure that the said toe pieceor strap or straps shall be tightened up in proportion to the varying breadth of the boot to which the skate is applied. This we effect by the use of a lever aim or arms, to which the lower edges of the strap or straps are riveted, the said leverarms being drawn together by the forward movement of the heel-plate, operated by the cam-headed lever above described. We preferably employ two lever-arms, pivoted at their fore ends upon the samefulcrum-pin,their rear ends being curved or beveled oft' to engage with a V-shaped or forked projection on the front of the sliding heel-plate 5 but, if desired,

the lever arms may be pivoted on separate but adjacent fulcrum-pins; or a single leverarm may be used in conjunction with a fixed bar, such fixed bar serving the same purpose as a second movable arm. In this case the V- shaped termination or forked end of the heelplate will be formed to correspond.

A skate constructed according to our invention and embodying these principles is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation, and Fig. 2 an inverted plan view, the blade of the skate in the latter view being omitted for the sake of clearness.

In these figures, A is the blade; B, the fixed sole-plate, firmlysecured to the blade bymoans ot' the bracket-piece C and a standard, C', carried by another bracket-piece, G2. The rear end of the sole-plate B overlies the front part of the heel-plate, and is slotted to allow of the longitudinal adjustment of the griping-piece D, with which itis provided. This adjustable griping-piece D is furnished with prongs or a chisel-edge for entering the front of the heel of the boot, and when adjusted itis secured in place by the nut d.

E is the sliding heel-plate, of peculiar construction, whereby great strength is insured.

A plate of metal, e, preferably of circular form, as shown in Fig. 2, is formed of malleable castor wrought iron, with vertical gripingsurfaces e e', and is securely riveted to the under side of another plate of metal, e2, preferably stamped out of sheet-steel, by which method ofconstruction a compound heel-plate of great strength is insured, as the vertical gripin gsurfaces e e may be easily made of any required thickness. These plates e and e2 are slotted atf and g2, respectively, to allow of their sliding longitudinally over the bracketpiece O3, upon which the under plate, e, is kept down by a cheese-headed screw, or preferably by a screw, C4, and metal washer G5. The slot fin the plate e is narrower than the slt g2 in the plate e2, which overlies it, so that a strip of metal on each .side of the slotf serves as a surface for the metal washer G5 to rest upon. By this arrangement it will be seen that the heel-plate E (composed of the two plates e and e2) will be free to slide longitudinally on the bracket-piece C3, but will be prevented from rising therefrom byreason of the screw C4 and metal washer G5, above described.

In some cases we do not use a compound heel-plate, but simply bend down two tongues of metal, extending from the rear end of the heel-plate, and cause them to bear closely against the under side of the horizontal top of the bracket-piece U3. This is a simple and convenient method of construction when the metal of the heel-plate can be bent without fracturing. The griping-surfaces e e may similarly be formed by turning upward two broad tongues of metal at rear of the heel-plate.

The front portion of the compound sliding heel-plate E, above described, is slotted to allow of its passing the standard or upright C', above mentioned, which standard serves to keep the heel-plate steady and prevent lateral movement, and which also serves asa fulcrumpin for the locking-lever F. The heel-plate E may also be conveniently slotted, as shown at d', to allow of its moving freely past the bolt,

which serves, in conjunction with the nut cl,to secure the adjustable griping-piece D to the sole-plate B. The front of the heel-plate E is forked or spread out into the form of a V, (see e* e4, Fig. 2,) and it is also furnished on its under side with a transverse iiange or rib, e5, for the cam-headed locking-lever F to engage with. The forked extremity e* e4 is covered by a strengthening-plate, m, as shown in Fig. 2, which strengthening-plate x may be conveniently turned down to form the rib c5.

G G are lever-arms, securely pivoted at g to the under side of the sole-plate B, and to these lever-arms the two sides of the leathern toestrap H H are riveted. The free ends of these lever-arms G G are curved or beveled off, as shown at y g', for the purpose of engaging with the forked or V-shaped termination e4 e4 of the sliding heel-plate E. It will thus be seen that on the heel-plate E being drawn back the lever-arms will be free to open and allow the toe-strap H H to expand, the better to receive the boot of the skater. The toe-strap may be made adjustable by laces or buckles, in the usual manner. When the sliding heelplate E is forced forward bythe cam-headed locking-lever F acting on the projecting flange or rib c", formed by the turning down of the strengthening-plate fr, the forked or V-shaped termination e4 c4 will engage with the curved or beveled ends g g ot' the lever-arms G G, and will forcibly draw the said arms together, th us tightening thetoe-strap H H equably upon the boot of the skater. The griping-surfaces c e will at the same time bear against the outer surfaeeof the heelof theboot, and tightly press the front of the heel against the griping-piece D, the boot of the skater being simultaneously thrust into the gripe ofthe toe-strap H H. The importance of this method of tightening the toestrap upon the boot consists in the fact that the said strap may be tightened exactly in proportion to the increasing breadth of the foot, instead of being contracted over the boot more at one portion than at another.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the shape of the cam-headed locking-lever Fis clearly shown. The head ot this lever is so shaped at has to engage with a stud or stop, c6, formed on the under side of the heel-plate E, when the lever is placed at right angles to its locking position. On unlocking the lever this stud e6 will be caught by the curved part h of the lever, and the heelplate will be thrust backward, as shown by the dotted position in Fig. 2. The lever F, when the skate is locked to the boot ofthe skater, will be snugly beneath the heel-plate, and will be secured in position 'oy springing its tail end under a small catch, K, made fast to the bracket-piece Uf at the rear end of the blade.

If desired, the toe piece or strap H H may be simply riveted to the edges of the sole-plate, as it maybe found that sufficient gripe on the boot may be obtained by the mere act of forcing the boot of the skater into the toe-strap H H by means of the cam-headed lever F.

It will also be obvious that, if desired, the blade ofthe skate may be made fast to the heelplate, and that the sole-plate may be moved ,lon gitudinall y by a cam-headed lever-such as F-suitably disposed to meet such a transposition of parts.

A hand-lever has been heretofore used for moving the sole-clamps and the heel-clamps of skates to secure the same upon the foot of the wearer. The existing constructions embodying such devices are defective in one or more particulars, either forming ineffectual modes of fastening or requiring complicated adjusting devices to secure proper action of the lever. We do not, therefore, broadly claim a skate so constructed; but,

Having now set forth the nature of our invention and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we claim- 1. A skate constructed with a fixed sole plate providedjvith a toe piece or strap and an adjustable griping-piece, (such as D,) iu combination with a sliding heel-plate, E,construct ed and mounted substantially as herein shown and described, the said heel-plateE being op- IOO erated by a cam-headed locking-lever, (such as F or its equivalent,) whereby the front of the boot of the skater may be forcibly thrust into the gripe of the toe-straporits equivalent, the

heel of the boot being at the saine moment securely held between the griping-pieces e', e', and D.

2. In a skate constructed and xed to the boot in the manner specified above, the leverarms G G, to which the edges of the toe piece or strap are attached, the said lever-arms being drawn together by the forward movement of the sliding heel-plate E, whereby additional tension is imparted to the said toe piece or strap in the act of applying the skate, and the proportioned to the varying.;` bread th of the said toe piece or strap is tightened up or eonboot to which said skate is applied, substantracted in proportion to the varying breadth tially as described. of the boot. London, April 4., 1881.

5 3. In a skate, the combination, with a ixed ROBERT H. BISHOP. sole-plate and a lever arm 0r arms pivoted HENRY F. HAILES.

thereto, of a toe strap or straps, the said le- Witnesses: ver or levers operating to hold the forward por- H. K. WHITE, tion of the foot rmly in place by imparting A. V. BISHOP,

1o a dii'erential tension to the strap or straps Both of 66 Chancery Lane, London. 

